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3 Sheets Sheet '1.

P. CRAMER. AIR GOMPRBSSING MACHINE.

(No Models) Patented Mar. 8, 1898.

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' (No Mode1. 3 sheets-sheen 2.

P. GRANIER.

, AIR GOMPRBSSING MACHINE.

No. 600,258. 7 Patented Mar. 8,1898.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

PI-IILIPP CRAMER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CASPER P. W. MEESKE, OF SAME PLACE.

AlR-COMPRESSING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 600,258, dated March. 8, 1898.

Application filed January 21, 1897. Serial No. 620,081. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, PHILIPP ORAMER, a citizen of Bavaria, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Compressing Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same, is

1o a clear, true, and complete description of my invention.

My invention relates to that class of aircompressing machines wherein a series of compressing cylinders have pistons which complete their strokes consecutively and afford a continuous and uniform deliveryv of compressed air to an air-receiving chamber or reservoir.

The objects sought by me are simplicity and zo economy in construction, facility in adjustment and repair, steadiness and smoothness in operation, economy in power at effective speed, and a high degree of eiticiency.

A characteristic feature of machines emz 5 bodying the main portions of my invention is a series of pump-cylinders, each of which is within a segmental cast-metal section provided with an interior space, so that when the several sections are properly united the sev- 3o eral spaces communicate with each other and aiford an annular chamber common to all of the cylinders for the reception of air under pressure. As an additional novel feature each of said sections has a second interior space, so that all of the spaces afford an annular cooling-chamber for the circulation of water around all of the cylinders and adjacent to the air-chamber for preventing the undue heating incident to the working of air 4o under high pressures. These segmental sections, when properly united, form an annular structure presenting the several cylinders in radial lines, and the whole serves as the main portion of the frame of the machine, which may be arranged to occupy either a horizontal or a vertical plane, suitable legs or baseblocks being readily attachable to any desired number of the sections. With the exception of such of the segmental sections asare pro- 5o vided with pipe connections the remainder are counterparts, so that when repairs are needed a section may be readily removed and another substituted from one or more` extra sections provided for such emergencies.

Another feature of my invention consists in a novel combination of a series of stationary radial cylinders annularly arranged in pairs diametrically opposite each other, the pistons of each pair being coupled together and simultaneously operated by a single cam 6o mounted in line with the pistons upon a central driven shaft and common to all of the pistons. In this combination the cam operates with a practically direct thrust upon each piston, thus obviating the use of pitmen or other vibrative mechanical connections common to prior machines wherein cranks or eccentrics or cams have been employed within rings or frames to which the vibrative connections have been coupled. such vibrative connections obviates liability of backlash at the pumps, and the use of stationary cylinders obviates the many complications incident to an axial delivery of compressed air common in prior machines wherein the several cylinders are carried in rotative structures or frames.

Other novel features of my invention, after a detailed description, will be duly specied in appropriate clauses of claims hereto an- 8o nexed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l illustrates one of my air-compressing machines in side elevation, a portion of the framing and outer sections or castings being broken away for disclosing interior portions of the apparatus. Fig. 2,is a lateral cross-section of the same on line @c of Fig. l. IFig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the cylinders and its piston and operating mechanism. 9o Fig. 4 illustrates in side view a pair of pistons, their antifriction-rolls, and two of the four metallic straps which couple the pistons, said straps being broken away centrally. Fig.

5 is a longitudinal section through one of the 95 segmental sections which contain the cylinders and constitute the main framing of the machine. Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the same A in end and top views, respectively. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a modification of means for mo The absence of 7o securing a slight yielding or cushioning effect between the cam and antifriction-'wheels on the pistons.

' The outer portion of my compressing-machine, containing the cylinders A, annular receiving-reservoir B, and water-space C, is made up of numerous counterpart segmental sections ct, firmly united together by means of bolts and suitable air-tight packing, so that they constitute the main portion of the frame of the machine. The central shaft D, carrying the operating-cam E, is mounted in adjustable bearings formed in side plates F, having radial arms bolted' to the sections a, andv at suitable points 'near the bottom 'of the main framing l provide two of the sections d with legs, by which the apparatus may be bolted to a suitable base, all as clearly'illustrated in Fig. l. 1

Each of the cylinders A, at its outer or discharge end, communicates with the annular air-receiving reservoir B which is afforded by the spaces in the numerous sectionsu, and has an outlet, as at l?, (Shown in Fig. 1,) for delivering compressedgair for any desired service. The inclosed ends of the cylinders, communicating with the receiving-reservoir, are normally closed by a valve ct', which has securedto its outer side a guiding-ring d2 for coperating with guiding-lugs a3, cast integral withand around an opening a4 in the periphery of the sectionor casting a and in line with the cylinder. This opening a4 has an air-tight cover a5 and is made necessary for finishing the interior surfaces of the several parts and for the insertion and adjustment of the valve a'.

For properly controlling the valve ct it is provided with a spring a6, interposed between the valve and cover d5 before referred to. This spring a6 encircles a spindle a7, which is secured to the back of ythe valve a' and which slides in a recess vformed in the cover a5 for guiding and limiting the movement of the valve. The valve d only opens when the compression of air in the cylinder is sufficient to vovercome the spring and the pressure of Vthe air inthe receiving-reservoir. p Y Y 4 Air enters each cylinderA through an airspace g between its piston G and cylinder A. This airspace is formed by the piston being lcut away for almost its entire peripheral distance, leaving only sufficient bearingcontact to insure a steady movement, as shown in Figs. 42, 3, `and 4. Loosely mounted on the face of the piston is a packing-'ring g', .which may be of the expansible variety'or solid and snugly fitted to the cylinder A. This packing-ring is loosely connected'to vtheface of "the piston by means of bolts g?, which slide rin holes formed in the heads of the pistons,'the

heads of the bolts preventing the rings from becoming detached.

It win be seen that when 'thepiston is be f ing drawn from the cylinder the packing-ring g"'w`ill be held back by its frictional engagement with the cylinder until controlled and moved by the bolts g2.

carried the air-space g isopened and air freely enters the cylinder. While the piston is being forced into the cylinder the reverse action of the ring. g closes the air-space g and compression takes place. It will be noticed that lthe under side of the valve d has a proj ection,which affords an annular recess,which at the completion of the stroke of the piston is occupied by the ring, and said projection `completely fills the interior space of the ring g', thus insuring a desirable clearance or practically complete discharge'Y of all the air from the cylinder.

The pistonsG are' ea'ch provided with two parallel rearwardly-extending arms gS and g4, each strengthened by two webs g5 g'andhaving at their inner ends bearing-blocks g6 for a shaft h, carrying an antifriction wheelor roller H, and also for affording abutments for adj ustingscrews to be hereinafter referred to. tween the arms g3 and g4 and are engaged by the periphery `of *the cam E, from which the pistons are operated.

The pistons G of each oppositely-located pair of cylinders are rigidly coupled together by means of four iiat thin metal straps titi, two on each side of the pistons, and between which the cam E and rollers H are located. The vends of the connecting-straps t' on each side of the piston are secured to yokes t', which slide inslots t2, formed in the webs g5 of the piston-arms g3 and g4, and each yoke is provided with an adjusting-screw i3 for tightening the straps t and for adjusting and keeping the rollers H in proper relation to the cam E.

It will now be seen that by coupling the pistons inthe manner vdescribed the bearingblocks g? are well controlled 'and that while a piston is being forced outwardly bythe action of the cam E the opposite piston will be simultaneously drawn inwardly by the coupling-straps 't'. v

For affording a true and steady movement f slide in guides f', secured to the radial arms F" of the side plates F, as clearly shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3.

The chamber or water-space C for cooling the cylinders and air-receiving reservoir is afforded by interior spaces in the sections af,as before described, the water entering through a pipec, provided with a suitable stop-cock, and connected to one of the sections d near the bottom lof the apparatus, and discharged at an outlet-pipe o', similarly connected to one of the sections ot near the top of theapf paratus, and whichis also provided with a suitable stop-cock, all as clearly shown in Fig.

l. It will be seen that this water-space C is quite large 'as compared with the air-receiving reservoir, and water therein will be in contact with the inner wall of the air-receiving ,reservoir and lalso surround a portion of the exterior surface of each of the cylinders, the

With the ring thus The wheels or rollers H are mounted be- IOO IIO

IIS

one water-space serving to reduce the temperature of both the receiving-reservoir B and the cylinders A.

Power is applied to the shaft D by means of a belt and pulley or gearing, (not shown,) and the cam E being keyed thereto all of the pump-pistons are kept in motion and the sevl eral pairs of pistons are fully operated successively. Owing to the difliculty in constructing the cam E so that it will at all times completely lill the space between the rollers II of each pair of pistons, I provide the rollers H with yielding tires h2, usually composed of rubber. These tires h2, because of their yielding capacity, are in contact with the cam E and cushion between the cam and rollers, except during the heavy thrusting action, and hence such slight noise and shock as might otherwise occur are obviated. In Figs. S and 9 I show a modification of means for securing a similar yielding effect by the use of springs h3 interposed between the bearing-blocks g and the journal-boxes of the wheel-shafts h and provided with adjustingscrews h4. Y

For assuring` a free rotation of the wheels by the cam during the forcing action of the cam, and especially in heavy machines, I provide the peripheries of the wheels and cam with teeth 7c and 7c', which do not prevent the annular surfaces of the wheels and the'working surface of the cam from being closely engaged duringthe heavy thrusting action of the cam, and when employed with the cushioned wheels said teeth cannot override each other, one set of teeth being recessed and both sets being of ample length to always cooperate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. In an air-compressing machine, the combination substantially as hereinbefore described, of a series of segmental sections, each containing a pump-cylinder, and also an interior space communicating with the cylinders, and means for uniting said sections and thereby forming the whole into an annular structure, serving as the main portion of the frame of the machine, and the several interior spaces aiording an annular chamber or reservoir for receiving compressed air from all the cylinders.

2. In an air-compressing machine, the combination substantially as hereinbefore described, of a series of segmentalsections, each containing' a pump-cylinder and also separate interior spaces, and means for uniting said sections for forming an annular structure serving as the main portion of the frame of the machine, and the said separate interior spaces aiording separate annular chambers, one for compressed air and the other for the circulation of cold water for keeping down the temperature of the machine.

,3. In an air-compressing machine the combination of a series of segmental sections bolted togetherand forming an annular frame, a series of radially-arranged air-pumps inclosed in said frame and a pair of central frame-plates provided with radial arms, each firmly coupled to a section, and each provided With a radial guide-slot inline with the adjacent pump for assuring a proper movement of its piston, substantially as described.

4. In an air-compressing machine, the combination substantially as hereinbefore described, of a series of stationary annularlyarranged pump-cylinders, grouped in pairs diametrically opposite each other, and having the pistons of each pair rigidly coupled together,and an operating-cam mounted upon a central shaft between each pair of pistons and common to all of them. r

5. In an air-compressin g machine, the combination with an annular air-receiving reser` voir, of a series of diametrically oppositely arranged pumps, each having its piston coupled to the piston of the opposite pump,land an operating-cam mounted on a central shaft common to all the pistons, substantially as described.

6. In an air-compressin g machine, the combination of a series of stationary annularlyconnected pumps arranged in pairs diametri@- ally opposite each other, and having the pistons of each pair coupled together, an operating-cam common to all of the pistons and means for adjusting the pistons with reference to the cam, as and for the purposes lspeciiied.

7. In an air-compressing machine, the combination of an annular receiving-reservoir, a series of air-pumps, and an annular chamber affording a water-space closely adjacent to the reservoir, and also surrounding a portion of each pump, substantially as described.

8. In an air-compressing machine, the combination of a series of annularly-arranged pumps, a cam for operating all of the pumps, pump-pistons which are cushioned with relation to the cam, and means for coupling each pair of diametrically opposite pistons, substantially as and for ,the purposes specilied.

9. In an air-compressing machine, the combination of a pump-cylinder, a piston having an air-space or induction-passage at its periphery, and a packing-ring, loosely mounted upon the face of the piston and operating as IIO a valve-cover to said induction-passage, sub- 

